


The Redemption Of Rachel Dawn Amber

by IowaGuy1979



Category: Life Is Strange (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst with a Happy Ending, F/F, Jefferson gets whats coming to him, Max Caulfield Never Went Back To Arcadia Bay, Violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-18
Updated: 2021-02-18
Packaged: 2021-03-14 12:20:55
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,869
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29542269
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/IowaGuy1979/pseuds/IowaGuy1979
Summary: She had survived the Dark Room.She had lost her soul, in the process.
Relationships: Rachel Amber/Chloe Price
Comments: 7
Kudos: 8





	The Redemption Of Rachel Dawn Amber

**Author's Note:**

  * For [SecondSeraphim](https://archiveofourown.org/users/SecondSeraphim/gifts).



Rachel Amber slid down against the locked door. He moved closer to her, the knife wicked and sharp in his hand.

“You know, I had thought you had something special, that WE were something special. Just turns out that you’re a vapid harlot, like all of them.”

A dark grin formed under cold eyes, and Mark Jefferson stepped forward, raising the knife.

April 22,2013

The flash of a camera could be heard, as Rachel regained consciousness. She had felt a needle stick in her neck, then nothing.

Mark Jefferson stood in front of her, taking pictures. “You’re finally awake, Rachel. I had hoped you’d wake up. A live, moving subject is much better than an unconscious one. Or a dead one”. A dark smirk crossed the man’s features.

As the young woman’s head cleared, she realized that, if she wasn’t careful, her life might end tonight.

Thinking quickly, she said “Well, I’m sure as hell glad I’m not dead. I wouldn’t be able to give you the best quality, were that the case.”

“True”, Jefferson said, “But, irrelevant. I capture the moment innocence dies. Usually when the subject does. And it’s clear to see yours is almost gone.” He reached forward for a syringe.

“That’s true. But, what happened to Nathan?”

“He’s dead, but, what the fuck does that have to do with you?”, he said, confused and irritated.

“Well, it seems that you are out an apprentice. I’ve always loved your work, Mark. And you know what a great actress I am. I could help you secure more.. subjects in the future.”

The man nodded slightly, thinking. “Yes. Having a female apprentice would help me gain access to more subjects. But, we can’t have you running off, now.” He drew more liquid from a second vial, and stabbed the needle into the blonde’s neck. Oblivion followed.

The memory cleared from Rachel’s panicked mind. She had found herself in the bedroom of a cheap motel when she awoke. Jefferson entered the room, telling her she had been out for three days. “Lucky you didn’t die.”, he had said.

So began the living hell that was her life. He had threatened her, in the beginning, to get her to scout for potential victims. Soon, thanks to her skills, he had been fooled into believing that she honestly enjoyed what she did.

But, one night, it had all gone wrong. Because she had developed a conscious.

March 22, 2014

Detroit, Michigan

It was their second night in the Motor City. They moved from town to town every few months or so.

She had been in a small park a few blocks away from the apartment they shared. Jefferson had rented a small storage unit in a facility about an hour’s drive from the city.

A lanky blonde was walking her dog. As Rachel approached, she noticed that her hair was strawberry blonde. Just like….just like Chloe’s had been.

And that made her snap. She walked over. “You’ve got to get out of here. I saw a guy with a camera and a syringe on the other end of the park. I’ll call 911. Go!”

The blonde picked up her small terrier and ran off to the well lighted street.

“Well, well, well. It appears you’ve gained a conscious. How unfortunate for you.” The needle stick. Then, blackness.

It had been almost a year, since her angel had vanished. Chloe sat on her bed, indulging in self medication. It was of the smoking variety, this time.

Almost 12 months, since she had last talked to Rachel. She had mentioned someone who had “changed my life”. Then, nothing.

Chloe had spent as much money as she could, making and printing fliers to post around town. But, being a jobless dropout, her money wasn’t infinite. Soon, she had had to stop. And Arcadia Bay had quickly forgotten Rachel Amber’s name.

Sitting up from her bed, she put out the joint on the desk top. Her eyes scanned over a web page for the Los Angeles Times. They had been planning to go there, so that was Chloe’s first avenue to search.

‘Just the usual SoCal bullshit”, the bluenette muttered. Her eyes caught a headline under the America section. The article was talking about the latest of the serial killings that had spread across the country. The newest ones were in Detroit. A amateur photographer had been in a small park a few night ago, and had gotten some interesting photos.

One was of a black haired Latina, who had disappeared that same night.

One was of a strong, tall, redhead. Taken away that same night, as well.

And one was of a long haired brunette, wearing a flannel shirt. But, what caught Chloe’s attention was the barely noticeable blue feather earring on the girl’s ear.

Chloe’s eyes widened. It was Rach! It had to be! The hair color was wrong, but, she would have had to change it, when she left Oregon.

She packed a duffel bag full of clothes and toiletries, and flew down the stairs.

Both Joyce and David were at work, so she quickly scribbled a note about finding Rachel, and that she didn’t know when she’d be back.

She realized she’d need money, for gas if nothing else. Chloe walked back upstairs and opened the closet door in Joyce’s room. Patting the floor, she found a loose board. ‘Ha! Just where it’s always been.’

She removed it, and pulled out a lock box. Luckily, Joyce kept it unlocked. She fished out about 15 or so one hundred dollar bills. She took about half of them. ‘Sorry Joyce, I know this is for emergencies, but, this is an emergency.”

Closing it and returning to the space, she replaced the board, and walked down to David’s man cave.

On one of her sessions exploring said cave, she had seen a part of the cupboards that were up above the counter peek out, slightly. Removing it, she had found a small box filled with hundred dollar bills. 

Now, she moved towards the same space. Pulling out the same part, she removed the box. ‘I guess being a rent a cop pays.’, she thought. There was near 3 grand in hundreds. She took them all, thinking ‘this is what you get for all of the shit you’ve put me through, asshole.’

As she walked out into the living room, she pulled the house key off of her key ring. Placing it on top of the note she had left, she walked out the front door, locking it behind her. “I’m coming, Angel”, she whispered, as she shifted her truck into gear and pulled away from the curb.

As Jefferson drew closer, [a song echoed out from an old battered radio on a windowsill](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2PTEqZURh4o)

The man chuckled darkly. “You thought you could play me, bitch? All this pretending. You’re no good to me with a conscious, you whore. This is the end.” He slowly edged the blade closer to the blonde’s swan like neck.

As she whimpered out, “please.. no.”, the knife drew a thin line across her neck. A very small rivulet of blood flowed down.

“I wonder.. Should I just end it? Or should I cut deeper, and make sure you can’t use that traitorous golden voice again?”, he sneered.

The door shuddered, as a huge weight crashed against it. Rachel drew back from the door, nicking her throat against the lunatic’s knife.

With another great heave, the cheap door shattered. Both of them were thrown a few feet away.

Standing there, with her eyes snapping electric fury, stood Chloe Price.

“How.. How did you..?” Rachel gasped.

“That doesn’t matter”, Jefferson said. He raced toward the tall woman, knife out.

Chloe dodged, then grabbed a hold of his arm, pulling it back behind him.

“Listen good, asshole. I should tear your guts out for what you’ve done. All of the women you’ve killed. For what you’ve done to My Angel.”

“She was never yours, you dumb bitch.”, the man snarled.

A loud cracking sound echoed in the room, and he screamed in agony.

“Wrong thing to say, sicko.” She spun him around.

He saw nothing but burning fury in her eyes, almost as if she was on a divine mission.

“If I were religious, I’d say that God would punish you, But, I’m not. So I’ll do the punishing,” Her voice was as cold and furious as a blizzard,

She threw him to the floor on his back, slamming her foot onto his chest.

“This is for the women you’ve hurt.”

She slammed her foot twice.

“And this? This is for her.”

Nodding her head towards Rachel without breaking eye contact, she slammed her foot against his chest until she felt it give.

Jefferson let out a bubbling scream. No doubt his lungs were filling with blood.

She walked over to Rachel, who cast her eyes downward. Her skin was pale and she was almost literally skin and bones.

“I’m sorry, Chloe. I’m so fucking sorry for everything I’ve done”, she whispered.

“I’m still a little angry at you.”, Chloe replied. “But, seeing you, and what this asshole did to you, made it almost go away.”

Someone had apparently called the cops, as the two heard sirens.

“We can talk later. Gotta go”, Rachel said. She rose to her feet, but, stumbled.

The taller woman grabbed her in a bridal carry, and fled the room, leaving Jefferson to whatever fate awaited him.

Three Days Later

They were in a Motel 6, somewhere in upstate New York. Rachel had said nothing except “Thank you”, since the night they had left Detroit.

She turned her head to Chloe, who was sprawled out on the king size bed next to her.

“Chlo...Chlobear..?”

The bluenette gently stroked the other woman’s cheek. ‘Yeah?”

Rachel started talking. Talking about how she had saved her life by becoming Jefferson’s new assistant. Talking about how she felt, leading so many to the fate that had almost been hers. Talking about how she felt so fucking unworthy of the love that the taller woman had given her.

Chloe placed her index finger against Rachel’s lips. “I’m not mad at you, anymore. Yes, you left when I was at my lowest. I had thought that you had abandoned me, like Dad did, like Max did. I was even angry as I drove to Detroit, thinking ‘How dare she do this to me?’. But, seeing you in that room, seeing what that fucking monster did to you.. How..” her breathe hitched “How could I be angry then?” 

As she succumbed to the tears that she had been holding back for so many months, Rachel guided Chloe’s head to her chest. Both of their voices broke out in soft, keening wails. Crying for what had happened. Crying for what might have happened, if not for a blue haired Valkyrie.

“Well, I’m here now, Priceless.” The other women let loose a soft watery laugh at the nickname. ‘And I’m never letting you go, Ever. I’ll love you beyond when the last goddamn star burns out, Chloe Elizabeth Price.”

With that, their lips met. Their kiss felt warm, and healing, and so very right.

**Author's Note:**

> I was listening to that song on Spotify, and had a mental image of Rachel cowering against a door. As the song played, a male hand gripped a sharp knife tightly. I had first thought to have Frank be the guy, but, I realized that the only person who could fill that role would be Jeffersonofabitch.
> 
> Lyin' Eyes is sung by The Eagles


End file.
